Ball-track rails for game tables and the like



Oct. 20,1925- T. R. TREIBER BALL TRACK RAIL FOR GAME TABLES AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 8. 192:

m m/07812 Faber Patented Get. 20, 1&25.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THEODORE R. TREIBER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

ASSIGNOR, BY MESN'E ASSIGNMENTS,

TO THE BRUN'SWICK-BALKE-COLL'ENDER COIiIPANY, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE,

A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

Application filed August 8, 1923. Serial No. 656,317.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, THEODORE R. Tnnrnnn,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Ball-T rack Rails for Game Tables and the like, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the ac companying drawing, forming a part of the specification.

My invention relates particularly to ball track rails for pool tables although not limited to this use alone.

The main feature of the invention relates to the provision of a ball track rail comprising a support rail and a. bearer strip mounted thereon in'a novel and effective manner whereby the bearer strip is adequately secured and supported on the support rail and at the same time is easily and quickly mounted on the support rail or removed therefrom.

lVith this feature in view' my invention consists in certain features of novelty in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts by which the said feature and certain other features are effected, all as fully described with reference to the accompanying drawing and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the said drawing Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a ball track embodying ball track rails of my invention.

Figure Qis a cross section of the same.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts in the several'views.

Referring to the drawings 1 designates a support rail, preferably formed of sheet metal, and 2 designates a yieldable bearer strip, preferably made of yieldable rubber. The sheet metal rail has a longitudinally extending formation of rectangular U- shaped formation, having one leg 3 higher than the other leg 4, and forming an open sided channel with 'the flat transverse portion 5 of the U-shaped section. The higher leg 3 is provided with an intermediately disposed longitudinally extending head 6 which converts the channel of the U-shaped section into an interlock channel, and the portion of the higher leg .3 above the head provides a bearer strip supporting surface 7 exterior of the channel at one side of the opening of the open side of the channel and facing transversely of the same.

The bearer strip 2 has an elongated rectangular cross section with abevel bearer surface 8 adjoining an edge of wide side 9 and anedge of a. narrow side with obtuse angles, and has an intermediately disposed longitudinally extending V-shaped groove 10 formed in the other wide side 11 thereof forming an intermediately disposed relatively narrow portion, the portion below the apex of the groove 10 providing a longitudinally extending interlock portion shaped to enter, the channel of the rail endwise and interlock therewith, the strip engaging under the bead 6 by means of the groove 10 embracing the bead whereby to interlock. The strip extends laterally from the inter lock portion thereof through the open side of the channel of the rail and exterior thereof and the portion of the side 11 thereof above the groove 10 engages the surface 7 of the higher leg 3 whereby it is supported exterior of the channel, the bevel bearer surfa'ceS facing in the opposite direction. The bearer strip is thus securely mounted on the support rail 1 and atgthe' same time can be easily and quickly mounted or removed by ,endwise movement of the strip even though the rails 1 are curved as shown in Fig. 1.

The ball track is formed of two track rails secured in parallel spaced relation, as by suitable shaped cross pieces 12 spot welded to the outer surfaces of the rails 1, the track rails being oppositely arranged with the bevel bearer surfaces facing in the direction of eachother so that a. ball 13, see Fig 2, may engage the same in rolling on the track, the surfaces 7 preventing undue outward bending the bearer strips by reason of tlIG PIGSSUI-E of the ball against the bevel surfaces 8.

While I have herein shown and particularly described the preferred embodiment of my invention I do not wish to be limited to the precise details of-construction shown as changes may, readily be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, but having thusdescribed my invention I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent the following Claims.

1. A support rail of the character dcseribed having an open sided longitudinally extending interlock channel adapted to 111- terlock with a bearer strip shaped to enter the channel endwise and interlock therewith.

2. A support rail of the character de scribed having an open sided longitudlnally extending interlock channel adapted to interlock with a longitudinally extending portion of a bearer strip shaped to enter the channel endwise and interlock therewith, and said rail having a longitudinally extending bearer strip supporting surface exterior of the channel.

3. A' support rail of the character described having an open sided longitudinally extending interlock channel adapted to interlock with a longitudinally extending portion of a yieldable bearer strip shaped to enter the channel endwise and interlock therewith, and said rail having a strip supporting surface extending along the channel exterior thereof at one side of the opening of the open side of the channel and facing transversely of the same.

4. The combination of a channel shaped sheet metal support of the character described and having one leg higher than the other, and a yieldable bearer strip seated in the channel and against said higher leg and provided with a longitudinal groove below the top of said higher leg.

5. A sheet metal support rail of the character described having a longitudinally extending formation of U-shaped section and having one leg of the U-shaped section higher than the other and one of the legs of the U-shaped section having a longitudinally extending inwardly projecting portion whereby to interlock with a yieldable bearer strip shaped to enter the channel of the U-shaped section endwise and engage under said inwardly projecting portion whereby to interlock, the higher leg supporting the bearer strip exterior of the channel. A

6. -A sheet metal support rail of the character described having a longitudinally extending formationof rectangular U-shaped cross section and having one leg of the U- shaped section higher than the other and having an intermediately disposed longitudinally extending inwardly projecting bead formed in the higher leg. whereby to interlock with a yieldable bearer strip shaped to enter the channel, of the U-shaped section endwise and engage under the bead whereby to interlock, the higher leg supporting the bearer strip exterior of the channel.

7. A bearer strip of the character described having a cross section providingtwo opposite sides and a bevel surface adjoining an edge of one of said sides at an obtuse angle and having an intermediately disposed longitudinally extending groove in the other of said sides.

8. As a new article of manufacture, a bearer strip for the ball-return track-rails of game tables and the like, consisting of an elastically yieldable strip provided in one of its upright sides with a groove ex tending longitudinally of the strip and of a depth substantially one-half the width of the strip, the strip portion below the groove constituting a longitudinally extending intel-locking portion for interlocking with a track-rail.

9. As a new article of manufacture, a bearer strip for the ball-return track-rails of game tables and the like, consisting of an elastically yieldable strip provided'with a beveled top edge constituting a ball-engaging surface, and also provided in its deeper side with a longitudinal groove located below the beveled portion and of a depth substantially one-half the width of the strip, the strip portion below the groove constituting a longitudinally extending interlocking portion for interlocking with a trackrail.

10. A rubber bearer strip having an elongated rectangular cross section with a bevel bearer surface adjoining an edge of one wide side and an edge of a narrow side with obtuse angles and having an intermediately disposed longitudinally extending V-shaped groove in the other wide side.

11. The combination of a channel shaped sheet metal support rail of the character described and having an outer leg provided with a longitudinally extending inwardly directed bead, the outer leg projecting above said bead and being higher than the inner leg, and a bearer strip seated in said channel rail and having a longitudinal groove to receive said bead, but of greater depth than the bead. r

12. A ball track rail including a metal support rail having an open sided longitudinally extending interlock formation and a strip supporting surface exterior of the channel, and a yieldable bearer strip provided with a longitudinally extending interlock formation shaped to enter the channel endwise and interlock therewith said strip extending laterally from said interlock portion through the open side of the channel and exterior thereof with a longitudinally extending bearer portion adapted to engage with said strip support ing surface of the rail.

13. A ball track rail including a sheet metal support rail having a longitudinally extending formation of U-shaped cross section and having one leg of the U-shaped section higher than the other, and a yieldable bearer strip engaged in the channel of the rail and extending upwardly therefrom and engr ing with the higher leg exterior of the channel.

1%. A ball track r'ail including a sheet inetal support rail having a longitudinally extendingformation of U-shaped cross seetion and having one leg; of the U-shaped section higher than the other and one of the legs of the U-shaped section having a longitudinally extending inwardly projecting portion disposed above the bottom of the channel of the U-shaped section and a yieldable bearer strip shaped to enter the channel endwise and engage under said inwardly projecting portion whereby to interlock and extending upwardly from the channel and engaging with the higher leg exterior of the channel.

15.'A ball track rail including a sheet metal support rail having a longitudinally extending; formation of rectangular U shaped cross section and having one leg of the U-shapet section higher than the other and having an interinediately disposed lone'itudinally extending inwardly projecting bead formed in the higher leg and a rubber berrer strip having an elongated rectangular cross section with a bevel bearer surface adjoining an edge of one Wide side at an obtuse angle and having an interinediately disposed longitudinally extending groove in the other wide side, said strip being adapted to enter the channel of the U-shaped section of the rail endwise with the groove of the strip embracingsaid bead whereby to interlock the strip with the rail. In witness whereof I hereunto affix my signature this third day of August, 1923.

THEODORE R. TREIBER. 

